Mcalister
A Scottish name likely derived from a place name meaning "servant of Alexander".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Mcalister. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Mcalister today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mcalister births was 2008 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mcalister. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Mcalister. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2008
5 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2008 SSA rank
#13,900
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Mcalister: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Mcalister by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Mcalister during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Mcalister
Mcalister is a given name of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac Alasdair," which translates to "son of Alasdair." This name can be traced back to the 12th century, when the name Alasdair, a Scottish Gaelic form of Alexander, became popular among the Scottish clans.
The earliest recorded use of the name Mcalister dates back to the 14th century, appearing in various Scottish historical records and clan registries. It was particularly prevalent among the clans of the Western Isles and the Scottish Highlands, where the Gaelic language and naming traditions were deeply rooted.
One of the most notable historical figures bearing the name Mcalister was Sir Archibald Mcalister (1457-1518), a Scottish nobleman and military commander who fought alongside King James IV of Scotland during the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He was renowned for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
Another prominent individual with this name was Angus Mcalister (1677-1744), a Scottish explorer and navigator who accompanied Captain James Cook on his voyages to the Pacific Ocean in the late 18th century. Mcalister's detailed maps and navigational expertise were invaluable to Cook's expeditions and contributed significantly to the exploration of the region.
In the realm of literature, one cannot overlook Iain Mcalister (1890-1962), a celebrated Scottish poet and author whose works celebrated the natural beauty of the Scottish Highlands and the rich cultural heritage of the Gaelic people. His collection of poems, "Voices of the Glen," remains a treasured part of Scottish literary canon.
The name Mcalister also found its way into religious circles, with Reverend John Mcalister (1812-1884) being a notable figure. He was a Presbyterian minister and theologian who played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Free Church of Scotland during the Disruption of 1843, a significant event in Scottish church history.
Finally, in the field of sports, Duncan Mcalister (1923-2003) was a legendary Scottish footballer who played as a forward for various clubs, including Celtic and Hibernian, during the mid-20th century. He was capped for the Scottish national team and is remembered as one of the finest goalscorers of his era.
People
Mcalister + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mcalister as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Mcalister: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mcalister?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mcalister going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Mcalister a common name?
We classify Mcalister as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mcalister most popular?
The single biggest year for Mcalister was 2008, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mcalister is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Mcalister in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Mcalister a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mcalister in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Mcalister still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Mcalister in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Mcalister can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Mcalister?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.